Diora Lynn Baird Bio
Diora Lynn Baird (born April 6, 1983) is an American actress and former model known for her work in film and television. Born in Miami, Florida, she began her career in modeling, most notably with the clothing brand Guess?, before transitioning to acting in the mid-2000s. Her breakthrough role came in the 2005 comedy Wedding Crashers, which launched her into mainstream film work. Baird has since appeared in numerous films and television programs while maintaining a presence in magazines including Playboy, Maxim, and FHM.
Early Life and Background
Baird was born in Miami, Florida on April 6, 1983. Her mother, who was also a model, enrolled her in an acting class at a young age to help her overcome introversion. During her school years, Baird became vice president of her school’s Thespian Society, demonstrating her early commitment to performing arts.
At age 17, Baird moved to Los Angeles with the goal of pursuing an acting career. To support herself while auditioning, she worked various jobs including as a salesperson at The Gap, a caterer, a waitress, a pre-school teacher, and even a clown at children’s parties. Her breakthrough in modeling came when she signed with Elite Model Management in Miami and gained significant exposure through an appearance on the cover of and a nude photoshoot in the August 2005 issue of Playboy magazine.
Path to Acting
Baird’s modeling career flourished alongside her acting ambitions. She worked notably with Guess? and appeared in several men’s magazines, earning recognition in the industry. She was ranked on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 list, placing at number 76 in 2007, number 64 in 2008, and number 76 again in 2011. She also appeared on FHM’s top 100 list, ranking number 17 in 2010 and number 40 in 2011.
Her exposure increased considerably with her modeling work, which helped open doors to acting opportunities. In addition to print modeling, Baird lent her voice to the Scarface video game as one of Tony Montana’s possible girlfriends, demonstrating her versatility in entertainment beyond traditional acting roles.
Diora Lynn Baird Career
Early Career (2004–2006)
In 2004, Baird began earning acting roles, appearing on the Drew Carey Show and in the low-budget film Brain Blockers. Her breakthrough appearance in a major film came in 2005 with Wedding Crashers, starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. This role positioned her for continued success in Hollywood.
She followed Wedding Crashers with roles in Accepted and Hot Tamale in 2006. That same year, she appeared in four films, most notably taking a major role in the horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, which became one of her most recognized performances to date.
Breakthrough (2007–2014)
Building on her early success, Baird continued to work consistently in film throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s. In 2009, she starred in the comedy Stan Helsing. She also guest starred in television episodes including Big Day, Shark, The Loop, and Two and a Half Men (the 2009 episode “She’ll Still Be Dead at Halftime”).
Baird starred in the horror film 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, directed by Ben Ketai and produced by Columbia Pictures and Ghost House Pictures. She also appeared in Night of the Demons in 2010. Additionally, she starred in the FEARnet web series Tea Party Macabre, which was part of the series “Women in Horror Month.” She created several videos for the Funny or Die website, including collaborations with Garfunkel and Oates and Robert Englund.
Notable Works and Milestones
Throughout her career, Baird has demonstrated range across genres, from comedy to horror. Her performance in 30 Days of Night: Dark Days showcased her ability to handle leading roles in genre films. In 2011, she starred in a short musical film called “Howlin’ for You” for the band The Black Keys. In 2014, she portrayed a porn star in the film Beautiful Girl. She was also cast in a recurring role in the Amazon Studios pilot Cocked alongside Brian Dennehy, Jason Lee, Dreama Walker, and Sam Trammell, though the show was not picked up for series. She later guest starred in an episode of the Hulu series Casual.
Diora Lynn Baird Personal Life
Baird was married to actor Jonathan Togo from 2013 to 2016, and they have one child together. In 2017, Baird revealed that she was dating comedian Mav Viola. She publicly discussed her identity in an interview with The Advocate magazine, sharing that after years of assuming herself to be asexual, she identified as lesbian. On December 29, 2017, Baird announced that she and Viola were engaged, but the couple later split up. In 2019, she filed a restraining order against Viola.
In June 2025, Baird gave birth to her second child. She is married to Ken Nelson, the owner of the clothing brand Kaiju017. Baird has been open about her personal journey and relationships, using her platform to discuss sexuality and identity.